Universal Pro Audio Headset Switch and On-Ear Headset
Universal Pro Audio Headset Switch and On-Ear Headset provide great options for users who need to connect to multiple devices. The headset is a standard, budget-friendly conferencing headset. The audio quality is above average and it is comfortable to wear. The switch provides added functionality for users and it's very easy to use. Aside from a couple of connectivity issues that were very minor, the switch worked really well.
- DESIGN
- EASE OF USE
- PRICE
Switch adds great functionality to Kensington’s Pro Video Conferencing Solution.
Kensington, a leading provider of desktop and mobile devices, is expanding their Professional Video Conferencing Solutions to include audio gear. This new product release includes a Pro Audio Headset Switch and an On-ear Headset. The headset switch will allow professionals to use their favorite wired or wireless headset with up to three devices. This provides a convenient way to switch between devices so users can mute, take calls, join meetings, or simply listen to music without having to worry about switching inputs or headsets.
The complete details of both devices are included below. Click here if you would like to skip ahead to our review of the products.
About Kensington Universal 3-in-1 Pro Audio Headset Switch
The innovative Kensington Universal 3-in-1 Pro Audio Headset Switch allows professionals to use their favorite wired or wireless headset with up to three different devices, eliminating the need for multiple headsets and creating seamless, smooth audio transitions between devices. The Pro Audio Headset Switch provides users with a convenient way to switch between devices, quickly mute, take calls, join meetings, or simply listen to music, all through the same headset.
Features and benefits of the Pro Audio Headset Switch include:
- Universal Compatibility – Enables Bluetooth, USB-C, USB-A, or 3.5mm wired headsets to be used across different devices and operating systems, including laptops, phones, and tablets. The plug & play Pro Audio Headset Switch works with popular videoconferencing applications such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, and Cisco Webex.
- Simple and Precise Audio Switching and Audio Controls – Dedicated buttons enable the user to easily transition between audio sources, with LED lights providing confirmation of the channel and device in use. Precise switching guarantees uninterrupted connections. Easy-to-reach volume controls and a mute button silences microphone signals across all wired and paired devices.
- Smart Technology – Easily transitions between audio sources and automatically connects to one wired and two paired (Bluetooth) devices, leveraging premium channel isolation for a professional audio experience. Adaptive Bluetooth 5.0 connection technology automatically remembers previously-connected devices.
- USB-Powered – The Pro Audio Headset Switch connects to any open USB-A or USB-C port (5V/0.9A) on a Windows or macOS computer or docking station to power and enable data transfer of audio.
About Kensington H1000 USB-C On-Ear Headset
A component of Kensington’s Professional Video Conferencing Solution, the Kensington H1000 USB-C On-Ear Headset delivers premium productivity, comfort, and durability that enables users to Communicate like a Pro. The headset provides an advanced audio experience with a feature set that includes a noise-canceling microphone, LED indicators for “busy” and mute, sidetone for better call engagement, and in-line music controls. The plug & play headset works with popular calling applications, such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS.
Features and benefits of the USB-C On-Ear Headset include:
- All-Day Comfort – Lightweight ergonomic on-ear design provides a comfortable, secure fit featuring an adjustable leatherette headband, comfortable earpads, and a microphone that rotates up to 270 degrees and can be worn on the right or left side.
- Advanced Sound Technology – A directional noise-canceling (DNC) microphone suppresses distracting sounds such as keyboard clicks and nearby voices. Sidetone confirms you are being heard and 40mm drivers deliver an advanced audio experience with HD voice support.
- In-Line Controls and Indicators – Quick access to the volume, play/pause, mute, and integrated busy light buttons help maximize productivity. LED indicators provide visual confirmation of status, including an integrated busy light on the back of the microphone keeps other informed of the user’s call status to minimize interruptions from colleagues.
- Reliable and Flexible– A long 6-foot tangle-free nylon braided USB-C cable provides the dependability of a wired connection and the freedom to stand and stretch during extended calls.
Pricing & Availability
The Kensington Universal 3-in-1 Pro Audio Headset Switch (K83300WW) and H1000 USB-C on-Ear Headset (K83450WW) are backed by two-year limited warranties and are available now through the Kensington Store and its partner sites. The switch is listed for $149.99 and the headset is listed at $49.99 at the time of publishing.
Review
I’ve always been impressed with Kensington’s products, but I have to admit that I’m particularly fond of this Headset Switcher. I was fortunate enough to have both of these new products provided to me prior to today’s release. I’ve been impressed with both of them but I really feel that the shining star of this launch is the switcher.
Both products are shipped in Kensington branded boxes. The packaging has images of the products on the box wrap. The switcher comes with a very long USB-C to USB-A cable and a USB-C to USB-A adapter. The headset is wired and has a control pad on the cable.
It’s been a long time since I’ve used a wired headset, but I thought the sound quality was very good from the H1000. They aren’t noise-canceling and because they sit on the ear rather than over it, you will likely hear some ambient noises in your area. The headset is quite comfortable and very lightweight. It has a boom mic that is easily lowered when needed or flipped up when it’s not. The cable on the headset is long enough to extend wherever the user might need it. Given that the headset is less than $50, I would say they are a really good value.
The specs of the switcher state that you can use a wired or wireless headset with it. I decided to try the wired headset first. I plugged the switcher into my Kensington dock and then plugged the headset into the USB-C port on the front of the switcher. The headset was immediately recognized and the controls worked fluidly.
The connection to my MacBook Air was recognized, but I did have to set the output audio device to the Kensington Audio Switcher in the System Preferences. The first Bluetooth device I selected was my iPhone 12 Pro. I set the channel to pairing mode and then selected “Kensington Audio Switcher” from the Bluetooth menu. It connected immediately. I then repeated the process with my iPad Pro.
So, at this point, I had all three device options programmed on the switcher and the H1000 headset plugged in through a wired connection. I started listening to some music through Pandora on my iPhone and hit the Bluetooth 2 button on the switcher to flip over to the iPad, which had a movie from Disney+ paused on it. Pandora paused the track and the movie started playing with the audio streaming through the headset perfectly.
There were no sync problems between the video and audio. I hit the Bluetooth 1 button to switch back to the iPhone. The movie on the iPad paused and Pandora on the iPhone started back up. There was very little lag as I switched between the two Bluetooth devices. I would say the connection timing was less than a second as I switched back and forth. Next, I added the wired connection to the computer into the mix.
As I mentioned above, I did have to tell the MacBook Air to change the audio output device to the switcher through system preferences. After that was completed, I had the same connection experience as I did with the Bluetooth devices. There was one major difference, however. I started playing music through the Music app on the computer.
At that point, the computer was selected on the switcher. I started the music playing and the sound came through the headphones. When I switched over to the iPhone on the switcher, the Music app continued playing but swapped the output device to the laptop’s external speakers. I wouldn’t consider this a flaw. It’s just a difference in the experience.
I didn’t have any connection issues but I did notice that after a certain amount of downtime, the iPhone did disconnect from the switcher. I had to manually reconnect it in the Bluetooth menu on the phone. The device was still on the menu. I just had to tap connect.
The Kensington Switcher and AirPods Max
If you are an AirPods user, you will think that it might be silly to run the headphones through the switcher. But, what if you are using your AirPods with multiple devices that use different Apple IDs? This is my case study.
My AirPods Max has been my ride-or-die headphones for work since I got my first pair in January 2021. They have had the best microphone for video conferences and they’ve been the most comfortable for me to use for long periods of time. I’ve actually tried other headphones with my colleagues and they’ve noticed right away that I sound different when I don’t use the AirPods Max.
The only issue I’ve run into is that my work computer does not use my personal Apple ID. Now, I’ve connected the AirPods Max to my work MacBook Pro using a standard Bluetooth connection, but when I swap back and forth between my personal devices and the work computer, I’ve noticed that it’s not as seamless as it is when I’m changing devices using the same Apple ID. Sometimes the connection is forgotten and that can become a real problem when you are trying to join a video conference with your boss and he has to wait for your technical glitch to be resolved. The Kensington Switcher solves this problem for me now.
While the sound quality is above average, I have noticed that the special audio features such as Spatial Audio that are unique to the AirPods Max, are lost because of the connection running through the switcher. Because the audio quality is still very, very good, I’m willing to sacrifice those special audio features for the ability to quickly and easily switch headphone inputs during my work day.
I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to connect the AirPods to the switcher considering that you can’t visually see the connection through an app interface. The trick is to put the switcher into pairing mode and then put the headphones into pairing mode. If they are connected to anything else, they won’t connect to the switcher.
And, if you switch back to a direct connection between the AirPods and your Apple device, the switcher will lose its connection to the AirPods. I noticed that the Bluetooth connection between my iPhone and the switcher was still operational, but the headphones were no longer connected.
Final Thoughts
I think the Kensington Universal 3-in-1 Pro Audio Headset Switch is a clear win. I would recommend this handy little device to anyone who works remotely. I know the stress of swapping headsets between devices and this switch makes it possible to have a much smoother transition between devices.
In addition to the basic functions, I did have a few additional observations.
- I was able to mute the H1000 headset from either the switch or the headset. The only thing that was a little bothersome was that the LED indicator for the mute function didn’t light up on the switcher when I muted the headset from the inline controls.
- The mute button on the switch works really well with Zoom and Teams. I used it a few times and didn’t have any issues with it. The only thing to watch for is that the button on the switch does turn red when mute is enabled, but the mute function in the application will not show you muted. For example, in Zoom, the microphone will not have the crossed-out icon as it normally does when you mute yourself in the application. It will, however, stop showing an audio level in the microphone when you are muted.
- The volume controls on the switch are a big selling point to me as I hate having to reach for volume controls on different devices as I use them.
I truly hope that Kensington keeps this device in their pipeline and continues to make improvements on it. It would be great to have a play/pause button included as well, but I’m really happy with the functions that are included currently. It’s a great device.
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